The Wheel of Fortune
by Kiara Arisato
Summary: The Wheel of Fortune works in mysterious ways... How will it turn for Naoto when she's given a case that even she may not be able to solve?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note

Yeah, Kiara's back with another story! The last one wasn't all that exciting, and for a while, this one might not be either, but this one's a multi-chapter story that I'm writing using tarot cards. I found a few spreads on the Internet that help writers map out plots, and it's overly fun to play with them.

At first, the story's going to be completely Naoto-centric, but Souji is eventually going to pop in and steal half the spotlight. He feels insecure without it.

By the way, this starts out pretty slow, but it gets exciting later on. The tarot cards have spoken. The Tower will come into play. Heeheehee... Whoa. I'm sounding like Edogawa. Ignore me. Please.

Anyway, I'm gonna stop blabbing and get this story typed up. Enjoy!

-----

_The Wheel of Fortune  
Chapter 1_

The wheel of fortune is unpredictable. For some, the outcome is terrible, no matter how many times they test their luck. For some, the outcome is great on their first try. Fortune works in unpredictable ways, and while the outcome may be unpleasant, sometimes one must accept it.

For a certain Detective Naoto Shirogane, the wheel was as unpredictable as ever. She had recently been assigned an odd case - not that that was uncommon. Ever since she helped to solve the serial kidnappings and murders plaguing Inaba some time ago, she was always called for the odd cases where the culprit constantly eluded even the greatest detectives. She never did let the police down. Of course, that earned her some spite from the detectives who lost their spotlight for a mere child, but there was nothing Naoto could do about that.

Naoto's newest case involved a kidnapper. The victims were never found, the culprit left no clues to whom he or she might be, and there were no ransoms. The only reason everyone knew that there was a kidnapping was that there were signs of a forced entry and sometimes a small struggle. The strangest thing about the kidnappings was the presence of a painting where the victim once was. Each painting depicted the victim doing something in that very room. None of them seemed to hold fingerprints or any other clues.

Naoto, of course, had a few tricks up her sleeve and a "police bear" (as he so dubbed himself) on her side. She managed to pull some strings and get Teddie into the most recent crime scene, an apartment in Port Island where an adult male known as Akihiko Sanada lived. Naoto remembered the name being mentioned a few times in her cousin's letters before he passed away. Frankly, she was surprised the former high school boxing champ had been kidnapped.

Naoto entered, noting that the kidnapper didn't use the front door. There were no signs of it being forced open, and people probably would have noticed someone breaking through their neighbor's front door... Well, unless those people were complete idiots or impaired in such a way that they would be unable to see or hear the events taking place, but the culprit likely wouldn't take that chance unless _he_ was an idiot, and that clearly wasn't the case.

Naoto entered the apartment with Teddie close behind her. The place was in a mess - bookshelves had fallen over, books and papers were scattered across the floor, and various miscellaneous items were littered here and there as well. A small TV was knocked off its stand and bashed in, and there were odd holes and dents in the walls. Naoto had heard that some of the other crime scenes had signs of a small struggle, but the sleuth didn't quite expect this.

Naoto took all this in at a glance before walking over to a couch, which had apparently been knocked down during the struggle. Teddie stuck close to her, somewhat freaked out.

A framed painting leaned against the side of the couch. Its subject was a young man, presumably Akihiko Sanada, sitting on the couch watching TV. He looked to be of a little more than average height, and somewhere between 20 and 25 years old. He bore an interesting, yet purely coincidental, appearance to Souji Seta, leader of Naoto's circle of friends and her boyfriend. Sanada's hair was cut short and was of a white or light gray color, and his eyes were a slightly darker gray. He was wearing a robe and pink bunny slippers, and the sky that was visible through a nearby window showed the telltale signs of morning. Sanada showed a tired expression on his face, but he was smiling, as though whatever was on the TV pleased him.

Naoto studied the painting for a moment longer before turning to Teddie. "Can you smell anything, Teddie?"

Teddie snapped to attention and started sniffing around. He had done this many times before, but something about this case really bothered him, though he didn't quite know what. He sniffed and smelled, starting at a window that was obviously broken into. He accidentally stuck his nose too close and got a splinter caught on it. "Yeowch!"

Naoto sighed, readjusting her navy blue detective's cap as she walked over to the whimpering Teddie. "How many times must I tell you to be careful?" She looked over his nose, detecting a splinter embedded painfully in it. Luckily for her, it wasn't up one of his nostrils this time... But it was stuck pretty deep into the tip. "This could hurt a little," she warned before quickly grabbing the splinter and sharply tugging it, effectively getting it out while causing Teddie to yelp in pain.

A police officer, who had been keeping watch outside, cautiously opened the door. "Is everything alright in there?" He appeared unnerved.

Naoto and Teddie turned to face the officer, the latter having a small bead of blood on the tip of his nose. "Everything is alright," Naoto told the officer. "My helper was simply having issues."

The officer nodded and closed the door again, resuming his duty.

Naoto sighed and turned back to Teddie. "Alright, wipe your nose and try that again."

Teddie nodded. "Yes, sir!" At that, Naoto wanted to kick him, but she refrained from doing so. After all, he was a huge help when it came to solving crimes, and he may not be so willing to help out if she "abused" him, as he would so eloquently put it.

Naoto watched Teddie sniff around a little more before turning her attention back to the painting. There was something strange about it, aside from the fact that it showed the kidnapper to be something of a stalker, but she couldn't figure out what. She knew from experience to trust her instinct, and she made a mental note to arrange for photos of all the paintings, if not the paintings themselves, to be handed over to her.

"I got something!" Naoto turned around to see Teddie excitedly following an invisible path. The childish Shadow was always eager to help out. "Okay, okay. He's a guy... He broke in through the window, and he was all like "Grrrrr!" And he attacked that Akihiko dude! Ooh... I think the guy who broke in was wearing some nasty-smelling cologne. It's kinda 'Teddious' smelling anything around that!" Teddie laughed a little at his own joke.

Naoto rolled her eyes. "Teddie... Your puns are rather... Unbearable." _Oh god, he's rubbing off on me. Just shoot me now..._

"I'm beary sorry you have to go through all that," Teddie countered.

"Don't you mean 'bearly' rather than 'beary'?" Naoto shook her head. They were wasting time. "Anyway... You say the attacker was male and wore cologne, correct? Can you detect anything else?"

Teddie sniffed around a little more. "Hmm... Nope, that's all I can smell. Whew! That stuff is nasty! Reminds me of Yosuke's used socks."

Naoto walked around the apartment once more, taking note of every detail, before allowing Teddie and herself to leave. Naoto had arranged for a week's stay at a hotel (not on Shirakawa Boulevard, thank you very much), which would be more than enough time for her to finish her investigations on Port Island. She would later continue her work at the Shirogane estate.

The two headed back to their rooms at the hotel and prepared for sleep. Teddie had requested - rather, begged for - adjoining rooms, and his reasons surfaced that night.

"Nao-chaaaaaaaan..." Teddie whined through the locked door between their rooms. "Tell me a story!"

"Sleep." Naoto's voice sounded tired as she raised it loud enough that Teddie could hear it.

"I want a bedtime story!" Teddie continued to whine incessantly. "Tell me a bedtime story, Nao-chan! Please?"

Naoto buried her face into her pillow and covered her head with the bed sheets, trying to block out the noise.

"Nao-chaaaaaaaaan!"

...The covers weren't helping, and they were making it hard to breathe. Naoto sat up, growling. "Did it ever occur to you that you could be bothering someone?"

"Well, that wouldn't be a problem if you just told me one little bedtime story!" Teddie shot back.

Naoto sighed. Maybe if she just stayed quiet...

"Nao-chan, Nao-chan, Nao-chan, Nao-chan..." Teddie chanted.

"If I tell you a story, will you let me sleep?" Naoto was quite annoyed with the prospect, but arguing was clearly futile.

"We-ell, you have to tuck me in and sit on the edge of my bed and tell me a good story and give me a kiss on the forehead and say 'Good night, Teddie' and..."

"And hold a gun to your head?" Naoto was _not_ doing what Teddie just suggested, and no amount of whining could make her.

"Aww, you're so mean, Nao-chan!" Naoto could just imagine the pout Teddie must have had on his face. "But pleasepleaseplease gimme a story! And not though the wall, you don't talk loud enough.

Naoto sighed, standing. "Fine..."

"Yay!" Naoto could clearly hear the _thump-thump-thump-fwump_ as Teddie ran over and jumped into his bed gleefully.

Sighing again, Naoto unlocked and opened the door between their rooms, then proceeded to sit in a chair next to Teddie's bed.

"Yaaaaaaay! Storytime!" Teddie gave Naoto his big, carefree smile. "And it's not a weird story from Yosuke this time!"

Naoto yawned. "What kind of story would you like?"

"Something with action, adventure, romance, and Teddie!" Teddie grinned. "Ooh! Pirates! In outer space! With Teddie!"

Naoto blinked in confusion. Pirates? Outer space? ...With Teddie? "Uh... That's rather... Odd..."

Teddie used puppy-dog eyes. Critical hit, extra attack. "Space Teddie pirates... Please?"

"Alright, alright..." Naoto yawned again. "Once there was a pirate named Teddie..."

Teddie fell asleep by the third word, snoring softly. Naoto sighed, thankful that she didn't have to continue. She quietly turned the light out, went to her room, closed the door, flopped down unceremoniously onto her bed, and fell into a pleasant, dreamless sleep.

-----

Naoto awoke the next morning to an odd sensation in her back. She deduced that someone was poking her, and her response was to mutter, "Five more minutes..."

"Nao-chan, you slept past your alarm." Teddie's voice was close to her ear.

Naoto sat up so quickly and suddenly she knocked Teddie off his perch on her bed. Looking around, she found that she hadn't made it very far when she went to bed - she had been curled up at the foot. She sighed as she saw the time on the alarm clock. Nine o'clock, a full two hours later than she had set her alarm.

Naoto stood and helped Teddie up. "Teddie, go back to your room and get ready. Today is going to be a long day... And perhaps a late one as well."

Teddie nodded and left, courteously closing the door behind him. Naoto got dressed quickly, then took a comb and headed to the sink in her room. She watched her reflection in the mirror behind it as she quickly ran the comb through her hair, making herself at least somewhat presentable. Afterwards she put her hat on and knocked on the door to Teddie's room. "Are you ready?"

The door opened and Teddie stepped into Naoto's room, as sparkling and smiling as ever. His white, ruffled shirt and black pants, as well as his bright blond hair, were a direct contrast to Naoto's dark, primarily blue attire. Naoto nodded her approval and the two left the hotel, headed for Paulownia Mall and the police station.

On the way, Teddie decided to ask his friend some questions. "So, what're we doing now?"

"I am going to question various acquaintances of the victim, all of whom had spoken to him not long before the incident. I am afraid you will have to wait elsewhere, as the details are to be kept confidential," Naoto explained. _I can't get him any more involved in this case... It's far too dangerous as it is._ "There is an arcade nearby. I will give you some money, and-"

"Aww, you don't have to do that, Nao-chan!" Teddie interrupted. "I took some from Yosuke before I left!"

Naoto was silent for a moment. "...You know, normally I would have you arrested for that. However, I will act as if I never heard."

Teddie laughed sheepishly, then changed the subject. "So, uh... Who're you gonna talk to?"

"Will you not speak of this to anyone?" Teddie nodded, and Naoto continued. "Very well. Their names are Mitsuru Kirijo, Junpei Iori, Yukari Takeba, Fuuka Yamagishi, Ken Amada, and..." She paused, remembering the final name, which was quite the oddity. "...Aigis."

Teddie blinked. "That's a lot of people."

Naoto nodded. "Yes..." She stared ahead thoughtfully. "Do you remember the document I spoke of some time ago, regarding Personas? Interestingly enough, they were from a Kirijo Group. I believe the Kirijo I mentioned is affiliated with them.

"Whoa, really?" Teddie was surprised. "What were the chances of you meeting up with someone like her?"

Teddie and Naoto entered Paulownia Mall, the latter sending the former to the nearby arcade before heading to the police station. "I am Naoto Shirogane, here to question the acquaintances of Akihiko Sanada." She showed the officer on duty her badge and was led to a room where a young man, probably around 20 years of age, was playing a handheld video game. He was sitting at a small, plain table. A dark blue baseball cap covered most of his very short, dark hair, and his eyes were a midtone gray. He had a surprisingly well-kept goatee on his chin. His attire consisted of a short-sleeved black shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes.

Naoto sat across from the man as the other officer went back to his duties, leaving them alone, as Naoto had requested earlier. "I must ask you to put that aside for now," Naoto said.

The man looked up, as though surprised by Naoto's sudden appearance, then turned the game off and set it aside. "About time you showed up! I was getting bored!"

Naoto prepared a notebook and pencil. "My apologies. There were a few complications. Anyway, my name is Naoto Shirogane. I was recently assigned to this case in hopes of getting this done quickly. Please introduce yourself."

"I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya." He grinned. "I'm the coolest guy you'll ever meet!"

"...I seriously doubt that. After all, it is hard to top Souji-kun and Minato-kun." Junpei looked rather surprised at the mention of Minato's name. "I take it you knew Minato Arisato?"

Junpei nodded. "You kidding? He was my best friend."

Naoto nodded as well. "He was my cousin. Moving on, how long before the kidnapping did you last speak to the victim?"

"I was hangin' out with Akihiko, Ken, and Mitsuru a few hours before," Junpei replied.

Naoto jotted down a few notes as she asked her next question. "Where did you all go?"

Junpei thought for a few seconds before answering. "We were hangin' out around... Port Island station. Near the flower shop, cuz I wanted to get flowers for my girlfriend, Chidori."

Naoto nodded. "Afterwards, did any of you go to Sanada-san's home?"

"Nope. Said he had somethin' important to do."

Naoto looked interested as she wrote something down. "Did he mention what he was going to do?"

Junpei shrugged. "Nope. But he's with the police, so I bet it was some police business."

Naoto nodded. "I see... Were there any other peculiarities during or after the time spent with Sanada-san? Remember, even the slightest of details can be crucial."

Junpei thought for a little while, then shook his head. "Nope, I can't think of anything."

"Very well." Naoto wrote one more thing in her notes, then put her pencil down and looked up. "You may go now. Please send Kirijo-san in."

Junpei nodded, standing. He was about to leave when an idea struck him. "Hey, are you gonna give me updates about Akihiko and the case? Cuz we can trade cell numbers..."

Naoto tore a sheet of paper from her notebook and wrote down her cell phone number. "How clever..." She handed it to Junpei, who gave her a confused look. "Asking a woman for her contact information under the cover of a case..."

Junpei's eyes widened. "Whoa, seriously? You're a girl?"

"The police force refuses to believe it." Naoto shrugged.

"Damn, I'm losin' my touch. Hey, when all this is over, wanna head to Shira-"

"_No_." Naoto shot Junpei a death glare. "You fail to realize that I carry a gun at all times..."

Junpei laughed nervously. He quickly gave Naoto his phone number, which she wrote down next to his name on her notes, before leaving the room. Naoto sighed as the door closed. Hopefully the information from the others would prove useful...

-----

Just a final author's note...

If anyone's willing to beta the story, I'd love it. I'd ask my dear sister to, but she hasn't quite gotten very far into Persona 4.

Alas, I'm a lazy bum. I haven't tried looking for anyone myself.

Anyway, I've got chapter 2 written, but I'm probably going to wait a little while before typing it. I have my reasons.~


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note

Hey guys, sorry for the overly long hiatus. I didn't mean to wait for so long. :c It just. Happened. And stuff. I'M SORRY I'M SO LAZY, PLZ 2 B FORGIVING 3

By the way, I appreciate the beta offers, but I'm very picky about this sort of thing. I want someone with experience and proof of that experience. Sorry. Again, plz 2 b forgiving 3

Anyway, here's chapter 2. I hate this chapter. I'm cheap, and it shows so very obviously. Ah well, this story'll get more interesting when I get to the fun part.

-----

**The Wheel of Fortune  
Chapter 2**

The next person to enter the room and sit in the hot seat was a longhaired redhead with fiery red eyes. Her impressive stature commanded respect, but she was dressed relatively casually. She wore a black, knee-length skirt, a white shirt with no sleeves, and black shoes. The woman, whom Naoto assumed was Mitsuru Kirijo, looked to be a little older than Junpei.

Naoto nodded in greeting. "Hello. My name is Naoto Shirogane. As you may know, I was assigned to the case of the recent kidnappings."

"My name is Mitsuru Kirijo." The redhead appeared to be sizing up Naoto. "...Excuse me, but how much experience have you had?"

"I have been a detective for about eight years," Naoto began. "My most notable accomplishment would be the Inaba murders. I was taken off the case because of a dispute, but I still managed to help solve it afterwards. Since then, I have been assigned many cases in which the culprits constantly eluded the police. I have never failed them. I seek the truth, and will settle for no less."

"I'm impressed. Very few people have achieved so much at such a young age." Mitsuru smiled slightly. "Alright, what do you have to ask me, Shirogane-san?"

"Not much, if the story checks out..." Naoto looked over her notes before turning to a new page, writing "Mitsuru Kirijo" at the top. "How long before the kidnapping did you last speak to the victim?"

"A few hours before the incident. Amada and Iori accompanied Akihiko and me, and we were at Port Island Station. Iori wanted to buy flowers for his lover."

Naoto nodded. "Did any of you go to the victim's home afterwards?"

"No. I believe Akihiko had some business to attend to," Mitsuru told the detective, confirming Junpei's story.

"Do you know what that business was?"

"I believe he was working on the case that has now been passed on to you." Mitsuru watched Naoto as the younger girl started writing fervently, checking over the notes she had taken previously.

"He kept the information confidential, correct?" Mitsuru nodded, and Naoto scribbled something else in her notes. "Do you think he found crucial information?"

"Akihiko conceals things well. I wouldn't know," Mitsuru replied. "Do you believe that the culprit took Akihiko to keep him quiet?"

"I have certain suspicions of certain things," Naoto told her. "Did you notice anything peculiar during or after the time you spent with Sanada-san?"

Mitsuru shook her head. "No. Everything appeared to be fine."

Naoto nodded. "Alright. You are dismissed... But first, I need some contact information, in case I feel the need to contact you."

Mitsuru nodded, the two traded phone numbers, and the redhead left.

The next two interrogations provided little information, as Yukari and Fuuka had simply spoken to Akihiko a few days before the incident. After them was Ken Amada.

Ken seemed rather mature for his age, and he dressed plainly. He had short, brown hair and dark blue eyes, and he wore a short-sleeved orange shirt, black shorts, and black shoes. He looked to be in junior high.

...He was the same size as Naoto. That irked her, but at least he didn't seem to be like a whiny brat. Perhaps her sanity would remain mostly intact.

After Naoto's usual introduction (which she was getting rather tired of), Ken introduced himself.

"Hello. My name's Ken Amada." He saw Naoto adjust her cap and realized that he was staring at her face. "...Oh, uh, sorry, Shirogane-san. I was just thinking that you look like one of my friends..." He looked away.

Naoto nodded. "It's fine... Minato and I do look similar. You have good eyes, Amada-san."

Ken looked up, surprised. "How did you know I was talking about Minato-san?"

Naoto smiled slightly. "He was my cousin, and your other friends seemed familiar with him." She noticed that Ken looked a little tense. "Please relax, Amada-san. If you are worried about Sanada-san, know that I have a good reputation with cases similar to this one."

Ken relaxed a little, but he still seemed nervous. "Sorry... I don't know why, but I'm feeling kind of nervous."

"Have you done this before?" Naoto asked, hoping that a little small talk would help Ken relax.

"Sort of," Ken replied. "After my mom died... I tried to tell the police what happened, but they didn't believe me. It was probably a weird dream or something, anyway." He paused for a second. "...Why aren't you asking me anything about this case?"

"Tension can block or impair thought processes, thus negatively effecting interrogations." Naoto thought for a moment. "What was the strange dream you say you had? Don't be afraid to tell me the truth; everything is kept confidential, and I will not judge you for it. Naoto knew what to say from prior experience with speaking to younger people. Some of her older cases had involved children.

Ken seemed to relax at that. "Well... It was a long time ago, so I don't remember much, but I think some sort of monster came out of someone's head."

Naoto looked away, thinking. "Personas in the real world? But..." she muttered, and then realized her mistake. "...Damn, I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

Ken's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You know about...?"

Naoto sighed. "Yes. However, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things. I understand that you, Iori-san, Kirijo-san, and Sanada-san were all at Port Island Station a few hours before the kidnapping. None of you visited his apartment afterwards, and he mentioned that he had important business to attend to. Is this information correct?"

Ken nodded. "Yeah. Sanada-san looked like he suddenly realized something before he left, but I don't think anyone else noticed. It might've been my imagination."

Naoto wrote something down, nodding to herself. "Do you remember any other peculiarities?"

Ken shook his head. "No, sorry."

"That's alright. I believe you may have already given me crucial information." Naoto wrote a little more, and then looked back up at Ken. "Do you have a cell phone? I many need to contact you later."

Ken nodded. They traded phone numbers, and Naoto dismissed him, calling for Aigis, the true oddity of the group.

There was a slight pause before the final person came, and Naoto took that time to look over her notes. Akihiko had apparently been on this case before Naoto came in, and he realized something on the day he was kidnapped. He probably hurried back. Perhaps Akihiko had noticed a pattern, and that he fit the pattern. But if that had happened, why would he have headed back to his apartment...?

Naoto's thoughts were interrupted as a girl entered the room. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and she wore a comfortable, casual light blue summer dress that covered her arms and legs. She appeared to be wearing a pair of strange headphones, but there was no wire connecting them to anything else.

The girl sat, and Naoto repeated her introduction for what felt like the thousandth time that day. She studied the blonde's face as Aigis introduced herself. "My name is Aigis. I became Sanada-san's friend during high school, and I trust that you will solve this case to the best of your ability."

Naoto nodded. She studied Aigis for a moment longer, then smiled slightly as she realized what was so peculiar about her. "My apologies for staring... The servos in your face allow for such detailed expressions."

Aigis looked rather surprised. "How did you know...?"

"I am a better detective than my age may suggest," Naoto replied. "Sometimes I notice more than my seniors do." The blue-haired sleuth checked the time on her watch - 8:43 PM. Below the time, there was a reading that said "Distance: Out of range", which was meant to track Souji. She smiled faintly at the memory of the night she gave Souji the matching watch, which tracked Naoto, and made a mental note to call him at some point.

"It's getting late," Naoto pointed out. "Let's finish this so we can all get some rest... How long ago was your last interaction with the victim?"

"I called him not long before the incident," Aigis told her. "However, Akihiko-san told me that he had business to take care of, so I decided to call him back later. I believe the kidnapping took place a few minutes after the call."

Naoto nodded and took some notes. "Was there anything peculiar about this conversation?"

"I believe he sounded stressed," Aigis said. "He hung up rather quickly as well."

"Did he say anything odd?" Naoto asked.

Aigis shook her head. "No, only that he had business to attend to."

Naoto nodded, writing down one more note. "Alright. Now, all I need is your contact information, in case I need to speak with you later. You can ask one of your friends for mine."

Aigis gave Naoto her phone number and was dismissed, leaving the sleuth alone. Naoto gathered her notes, took one last look at them, and went to pick up Teddie.

Naoto entered the arcade and found Teddie playing a fighting game against some shorthaired brunet in a white T-shirt and blue jeans. The odd pair was taking the game very seriously.

"I'll get you yet!" The brunet was mashing the buttons, an extremely determined look on his face.

"Try as you might, Teddie will win again! Then you get to treat me to ramen!" Teddie was clearly owning the other.

"Argh! I can't lose! I'm still broke from losing to Minato!" That comment got the brunet a wave of pity from Naoto. She knew how much her cousin could eat.

"That's your own fault for pitting yourself against the great Teddie!" Teddie then finished off his opponent, causing the other to groan.

"Man... I hope you don't eat as much as he did... The brunet sighed.

Naoto chose that moment to speak. "Not quite, but close. Last time he went to Hagakure, he ate eleven bowls. Minato always took twelve."

The brunet looked at Naoto, surprised. "Whoa, how'd you know?"

"Minato was my cousin," Naoto replied simply. She turned to Teddie. "It's time we headed back. We can stop at Hagakure on the way."

"Okay!" Teddie grinned.

"And I get to pay for his..." The brunet sighed. "But man, you're good. I've never met anyone who can beat me at that game, aside from Minato!" He grinned at Teddie.

Teddie and his new friend chatted idly as Naoto led the way to Hagakure. Upon entering, they were surrounded by the delicious smells of various kinds of ramen. Naoto suddenly remembered that she hadn't eaten that day - she had been too busy with the case.

The trio sat down and placed their orders. "Yo, I never got your name. I'm Kenji Tomochika," the brunet said, smiling.

Naoto nodded. "I am Naoto Shirogane."

"Oh yeah, you're that pint-sized detective that got booted off a case and wound up solving it! Dude, that's pretty awesome." He looked at Naoto in admiration for a moment, but then his gaze shifted as a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him.

Pretty soon, they were all eating, Kenji and Teddie chatting between mouthfuls. Naoto ate her ramen slowly and quietly, pondering her case. She was still stumped as to why Akihiko would figure out a pattern, then run right into his kidnapping. If he didn't find a pattern, then what would he have realized? It could have been unrelated, but--

"Dude, you've already hit nine bowls!" Kenji interrupted the sleuth's thoughts.

"I could pay for a portion of it all, if you are unable to afford it," Naoto offered.

"But Nao-chan, that'd ruin the point of making a bet!" Teddie complained.

Kenji shrugged. "Eh, I can just work a little overtime at my job. No sweat."

"Alright." Naoto then thought of something. "How long ago did you meet up with Teddie?"

"Not long after he got to the arcade," Kenji replied. "Man, this guy is awesome at arcade games!"

Naoto nodded. "Perhaps I should pay for our meal, as thanks for taking care of Teddie. He can be quite a handful. No objections," she added before Kenji could say anything.

The brunet laughed. "Man, I wish Junpei could be like you. He's too cheap to treat anyone nowadays!"

They paid for their meals, and Teddie and Naoto headed back to the hotel. At the hotel, Naoto took a shower and went to check on Teddie. He had already fallen asleep, so Naoto went to bed herself. The next day was going to be fairly simple, as her final task at Port Island in regards to the case was to check the crime scene one last time. Still, Naoto knew for certain that her time in Port Island would probably be the last time she could relax for a while, and she only had two free days before she went home.

Naoto sighed as she though of the days ahead. She had a feeling that this case was going to be long and trying...

-----

As a final note, I love Kenji.


End file.
